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(About Our Ads) "THE GOLDEN COMPASS" (2007) (Dakota Blue Richards, Nicole Kidman) (PG-13) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Mild Minor Heavy *Moderate Extreme Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Mild Minor Extreme None None Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Mild *None Mild Moderate Extreme QUICK TAKE: Fantasy/Drama: A young girl is accompanied by an eclectic collection of people, beings, and fantastical characters as she sets out to free abducted children from a draconian government that wants to remove their free will. PLOT: Lyra Belacqua (DAKOTA BLUE RICHARDS) is a young girl living in a parallel Earth who knows how to fend for herself and defend her good friend Roger Parslow (BEN WALKER) from bullies such as Billy Costa (CHARLIE ROWE). Her only relative is her uncle, explorer and scientist Lord Asriel (DANIEL CRAIG) whose discovery of dust from another world has him in hot water with the land's ruling body, The Magisterium. One of its leaders, Fra Pavel (SIMON McBURNEY), isn't pleased with Lord Asriel's work, particularly since it indicates that this other world's inhabitants might have internal souls, compared to the external, animal-based ones known as daemons that accompany all of who live in Lyra's land. Hers is called Pantalaimon (voice of FREDDIE HIGHMORE), and constantly shape-shifts from one animal form to the next, all dependent on it and its human owner's mood and emotional level at the time. With word of increased activities by figures known as the Gobblers -- who abduct kids for the Magisterium and then remove their free will -- Lyra is happy when a striking woman, Marisa Coulter (NICOLE KIDMAN), chooses the young girl to accompany her on her next journey. Unbeknownst to Marisa, Lyra's schoolmaster has given the girl the last known Golden Compass, a now forbidden device that tells its holder all that's true. When Lyra then learns that Marisa might by the ruler of the Gobblers and that Roger, Billy and other kids have been abducted by them, the young girl sets out to rescue the kids. Helped by various Gyptians such as John Faa (JIM CARTER) and Farder Coram (TOM COURTENAY), and later accompanied by beautiful witch Serafina Pekkala (EVA GREEN), wily aeronaut Lee Scoresby (SAM ELLIOT), and armored bear lorek Byrnison (voice of IAN McKELLEN), Lyra heads for the icy fortress where the kids are being held, all in hopes of freeing them from the influence of The Magisterium, while Byrnison desires to regain his throne from current bear king Ragnar Sturlusson (voice of IAN McSHANE). WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? The fantasy angle will probably draw in fans of those sorts of films. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13 For sequences of fantasy violence. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: DAKOTA BLUE RICHARDS plays the girl who finds herself on a quest to save her friends from Marisa and the Gobblers, all while forging alliances with a disparate group of characters. She shows smarts, courage, and confidence while doing so. NICOLE KIDMAN plays a powerful woman with an icy demeanor who's working with the Magisterium and takes Lyra under her wing, but does so in an effort to stop her as well as find and stop her uncle. DANIEL CRAIG plays Lyra's emotionally distant uncle who's investigating a controversial finding from another world. He must contend with attempts on his life for doing so. LOREK BYRNISON is the armored bear who's lost his armor and thus is resigned to working as a blacksmith for pay in liquor from the townsfolk. Once partnered with Lyra and re-equipped with his armor, however, he serves her, all while desiring to get back what was once his. RAGNAR STURLUSSON is the king of the bears who dethroned him long ago and won't give that up without a mighty fight. Thinking he's human, he wants a daemon of his own. SAM ELLIOT plays a crusty but wily aeronaut who befriends and then assists Lyra on her quest. EVA GREEN plays a witch who does the same. PANTALAIMON is Lyra's daemon, an external spirit that accompanies her and reflects her mindset and emotional state. BEN WALKER plays Lyra's young friend who's bullied by the boy played by CHARLIE ROWE. Both must contend with being kidnapped. JIM CARTER and TOM COURTENAY play Gyptians who rescue and then assist Lyra on her quest. SIMON McBURNEY plays the Magisterium official who isn't pleased with Lord Asriel's investigation and thus tries to poison him. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: The following is a brief summary of the content found in this adventure film that's rated PG-13. No profanity is present, while sexual flings in the past are briefly commented on or implied. Violence includes characters killing others (with gunfire and arrows, but no blood), fighting (including two bears in a battle to the death) and the attacking of others. Some of that and scenes of potential peril might be unsettling or even scary to younger viewers, but probably few if any others, while various characters have varying degrees of bad attitudes. Some behavior may be enticing for some kids to imitate, while the consumption of alcohol occurs, and a man appears to spit out some chew liquid. Meanwhile, thematic elements, including the representation of one's soul, are present. Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to look more closely at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. For those prone to visually induced motion sickness, there's some camera movement from time to time in the film. Viewers should note that the anti-religious elements reported in the source novels are not present in the film (beyond the draconian government being called The Magisterium and what some may view as related religious imagery - although those not familiar with the controversy likely won't view any of that in that context). ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE Fra Pavel secretly puts some sort of powder (presumably poisonous) into Lord Asriel's decanter (filled with some sort of liquor). Various people have what looks like wine with dinner in a large dining hall. We see champagne in buckets and wine on the table at a dinner. Lyra tries the wine, but then spits her mouthful back into her glass. A man pours whiskey into a bowl for Byrnison who then guzzles that down. BLOOD/GORE Lord Asriel appears to have a slight bloody lip after fighting some men. DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE Billy leads various kids who are after Roger, but Lyra comes to the latter's rescue. Fra Pavel secretly puts some sort of powder (presumably poisonous) into Lord Asriel's decanter (filled with some sort of liquor) to try to kill him. Others in the Magisterium, including Marisa, are also portrayed as being the film's villains, particularly in regard to the kidnapping of children. Via the Golden Compass, Lyra learns that Ragnar Sturlusson poisoned Byrnison in order to beat him in a fight. FRIGHTENING SCENES Scenes listed under "Violence" may be unsettling, suspenseful or scary to younger viewers but probably few others. Billy leads various kids who are after Roger, but Lyra comes to the latter's rescue. She throws what looks like a clump of mud and hits one of the boys. In turn, he tries to hit her back with the same, but hits another kid instead. Lyra and Roger then take off running, with the kids giving chase. They catch and then confront the two, but Lyra bluffs their way out of the situation. Fra Pavel secretly puts some sort of powder (presumably poisonous) into Lord Asriel's decanter (filled with some sort of liquor), and Lyra observes this from the closet. When Lord Asriel pours himself a glass and nearly drinks it, Lyra rushes out and knocks the glass from his hand (it breaks on the floor). Lyra and Roger walk along a roof peak, and then slide down parts of the slate surface (on their clothed rears). Some kids may worry when they hear talk of the "Gobblers," entities that abduct the orphan and servant kids. A monkey (Marisa's daemon) suddenly grabs a rat (Billy's daemon), squeezes it, and causes the boy to pass out. We then see a large shadow cross over Roger who's also there and looks terrified. Marisa's icy demeanor and somewhat intimidating attitude and behavior toward Lyra might be unsettling for some younger viewers. Marisa's daemon monkey attacks Pan (who's in feline form), pinning the cat and causing it pain (all as Marisa acts somewhat menacingly toward Lyra). Lyra sneaks into a room and discovers a list that makes her believe that Marisa runs the Gobblers. When Marisa shows up, and her monkey grabs the golden compass, Pan grabs it and flies out the window, followed by Lyra. The two then hide in an alley from various armed Gobblers who are looking for them. They then end up in a factory where a net then falls down onto the girl and the men grab her. Arrows from various Gyptians, however, land in two men, presumably killing them (as their daemons suddenly ignite and quickly burn away into nothingness). A gunshot suddenly hits in the snow near Lord Asriel, causing him and his daemon to flee, resulting in a chase. Their pursuers then surround and approach them, with one jumping down onto Lord Asriel. He fights that one off, along with others, and then flees. He and two pursuers then end up sliding down a sheer, snowy cliff, with Lord Asriel stopping himself with his ice pick, while the two men fall off the cliff and down a long way (we don't see the impact far below). One person then punches Lord Asriel in the face down to the snow where others grab him. A "spy fly" (a mechanical bee-sort of contraption) comes at Lyra with its sharp tail, but it lands in another surface and she goes to strike it with something she's holding. Byrnison's size and initial temperament might be unsettling or even scary to younger kids. Lyra tells Byrnison where his armor is stored, and thus the bear goes careening through the town, crashing into things. We then see that he's smashed through a building's front door, with armed guards waiting outside for him. Lyra convinces him not to fight the men, with Lee then holding his pistol on one man, while various Gyptians hold their guns on the rest of the guards. Byrnison comments that the rescue caravan must travel through a land where the inhabitants don't like trespassers. We see various witches flying overhead (from a distance), but they later turn out to be on Lyra's side. Lyra rides Byrnison off to a lone house for which there was talk of a ghost inhabiting it. She slowly goes inside, and Pan is afraid, but they're concerned when they find Billy huddled up there, with his daemon missing. Gunfire and arrows hit several people in the rescue caravan, while Lee and Faa fire back and hit various attackers. Hand to hand combat then breaks out, and a spear is nearly thrown at Lyra, but Byrnison intervenes and smashes that person, as he does others. Nevertheless, Lyra is grabbed and a hood placed over her head as she's abducted and removed from the scene. Lyra is taken to the land of the ice bears where she must confront the menacing Ragnar Sturlusson, and she must bluff through this encounter to prevent him from killing her. Ragnar Sturlusson and Byrnison battle, with the former eventually getting the upper hand as the two bang into each other, struggle, and Ragnar Sturlusson bites Byrnison on the paw. The bear king then repeatedly hits Byrnison, but the latter finds his resolve, strikes the king on his face (seemingly knocking off his lower jaw), and then bites him on the jaw and/or throat, apparently delivering a fatal blow (there's no blood). Lyra and Byrnison stop just at the edge of a sheer cliff and must then traverse an ice bridge across the chasm. Realizing it can't take their combined weight, Byrnison tells Lyra to go first. She's scared and we see how high she is above the chasm as she nearly slips, and that only gets worse as the bridge creaks and cracks under her. It then starts collapsing behind her, and she runs to get to the other side, meaning she's now separated from her protector. Lyra overhears Marisa say that her uncle will be arrested and then executed for heresy. Lyra hides under a table during a meeting, but is then discovered and captured when she accidentally makes some noise. Others grab and place her in a chamber that's designed to permanently separate herself from her daemon. The gate/fence between them then becomes electrified and both her and Pan seem in pain, with both passing out. Marisa is horrified to see this when she runs in, and rushes up to stop it (we later see Lyra and Pan resting in bed, alive). Lyra leads the abducted kids in an escape attempt, only to encounter armed guards (rifles, swords) accompanied by menacing wolves. Byrnison then arrives and bashes various wolves, followed by guards grabbing some of the kids. Witches then fly in and fire arrows from above, hitting various guards. Other guards shoot some of the witches from the sky, all as other guards throw hooks and ropes onto Byrnison, pulling him to the ground. A guard is about to shoot him dead, but Lee shoots that man and others dead, while Gyptians arrive and engage in hand to hand combat with the guards. Arrows and gunfire take out more characters, and Serafina stabs a sword back through a guard, but there's no blood or gore with any of that violence. GUNS/WEAPONS Rifles/Arrows: Carried and/or used to threaten, wound or kill others. See "Violence" for details. Various Gobblers carry rifles. Faa's men carry rifles on their ship. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "Rubbish" and "He's mad." Some of the fighting and action might be enticing for some kids to imitate. Fra Pavel secretly puts some sort of powder (presumably poisonous) into Lord Asriel's decanter (filled with some sort of liquor), and Lyra observes this from the closet. When Lord Asriel pours himself a glass and nearly drinks it, Lyra rushes out and knocks the glass from his hand (it breaks on the floor). Lyra and Roger walk along a roof peak, and then slide down parts of the slate surface (on their clothed rears). Faa has what looks like a tattoo on his face. Lyra spits in defiance of guards who want her to surrender. JUMP SCENES A gunshot suddenly hits in the snow near Lord Asriel. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) An extreme amount of suspenseful, ominous, and heavily dramatic music plays in the film. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) None. PROFANITY None. SEX/NUDITY Marisa shows a tiny bit of cleavage. Serafina tests Lyra by having the girl use the Golden Compass to see who the witch's former lover was (and Lyra uses that to discover that it was Faa). Spoiler Alert: Marisa tells Lyra that the girl's mother didn't die in an accident as she was told, and that her mother wasn't married to her father. To her horror, Lyra then learns that Marisa is her mother and Lord Asriel is her father (meaning they had a sexual fling in the past). SMOKING None, but Lee spits out what looks like chew liquid. TENSE FAMILY SCENES Spoiler Alert: Marisa tells Lyra that the girl's mother didn't die in an accident as she was told, and that her mother wasn't married to her father. To her horror, Lyra then learns that Marisa is her mother and Lord Asriel is her father. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT The controversy surrounding the film based on the same for the source novels (mostly about religious-related matters). The film's notion of one's soul as an external being that reflects one's mindset and emotional state. Authoritarian states. The notion of another Earth parallel to ours. What one would ask of a truth-telling golden compass if one possessed such a device. Dealing with bullies. The notion of mastering one's fear. VIOLENCE Billy leads various kids who are after Roger, but Lyra comes to the latter's rescue. She throws what looks like a clump of mud and hits one of the boys. In turn, he tries to hit her back with the same, but hits another kid instead. Fra Pavel secretly puts some sort of powder (presumably poisonous) into Lord Asriel's decanter (filled with some sort of liquor), and Lyra observes this from the closet. When Lord Asriel pours himself a glass and nearly drinks it, Lyra rushes out and knocks the glass from his hand (it breaks on the floor). A monkey (Marisa's daemon) suddenly grabs a rat (Billy's daemon), squeezes it, and causes the boy to pass out. Marisa's daemon monkey attacks Pan (who's in feline form), pinning the cat and causing it pain (all as Marisa acts somewhat menacingly toward Lyra). Lyra sneaks into a room and discovers a list that makes her believe that Marisa runs the Gobblers. When Marisa shows up, and her monkey grabs the golden compass, Pan grabs it and flies out the window, followed by Lyra. The two then hide in an alley from various armed Gobblers who are looking for them. They then end up in a factory where a net then falls down onto the girl and the men grab her. Arrows from various Gyptians, however, land in two men, presumably killing them (as their daemons suddenly ignite and quickly burn away into nothingness). A gunshot suddenly hits in the snow near Lord Asriel, causing him and his daemon to flee, resulting in a chase. Their pursuers then surround and approach them, with one jumping down onto Lord Asriel. He fights that one off, along with others, and then flees. He and two pursuers then end up sliding down a sheer, snowy cliff, with Lord Asriel stopping himself with his ice pick, while the two men fall off the cliff (we don't see the impact far below). One person then punches Lord Asriel in the face down to the snow where others grab him. Lyra tells Byrnison where his armor is stored, and thus the bear goes careening through the town, crashing into things. We then see that he's smashed through a building's front door, with armed guards waiting outside for him. Lyra convinces him not to fight the men, with Lee then holding his pistol on one man, while various Gyptians hold their guns on the rest of the guards. Marisa smacks her monkey daemon to the floor and then holds and consoles it. Gunfire and arrows hit several people in the rescue caravan, while Lee and Faa fire back and hit various attackers. Hand to hand combat then breaks out, and a spear is nearly thrown at Lyra, but Byrnison intervenes and smashes that person, as he does others. Nevertheless, Lyra is grabbed and a hood placed over her head as she's abducted and removed from the scene. Ragnar Sturlusson and Byrnison battle, with the former eventually getting the upper hand as the two bang into each other, struggle, and Ragnar Sturlusson bites Byrnison on the paw. The bear king then repeatedly hits Byrnison, but the latter finds his resolve, strikes the king on his face (seemingly knocking off his lower jaw), and then bites him on the jaw and/or throat, apparently delivering a fatal blow (there's no blood). Lyra hides under a table during a meeting, but is then discovered and captured when she accidentally makes some noise. Others grab and place her in a chamber that's designed to permanently separate herself from her daemon. The gate/fence between them then becomes electrified and both her and Pan seem in pain, with both passing out. Marisa is horrified to see this when she runs in, and rushes up to stop it (we later see Lyra and Pan resting in bed, alive). A "spy fly" (a mechanical bee-sort of contraption) gets Marisa in the face. Lyra causes a machine to explode, thus resulting in additional explosions inside the building, and panic as the people rush about. Lyra leads the abducted kids in an escape attempt, only to encounter armed guards (rifles, swords) accompanied by menacing wolves. Byrnison then arrives and bashes various wolves, followed by guards grabbing some of the kids. Witches then fly in and fire arrows from above, hitting various guards. Other guards shoot some of the witches from the sky, all as other guards throw hooks and ropes onto Byrnison, pulling him to the ground. A guard is about to shoot him dead, but Lee shoots that man and others dead, while Gyptians arrive and engage in hand to hand combat with the guards. Arrows and gunfire take out more characters, and Serafina stabs a sword back through a guard, but there's no blood or gore with any of that violence. Reviewed November 26, 2007 / Posted December 7, 2007